Does Health Insurance Cover Yoga

Coverage may be provided for yoga on certain types of health insurance policies With yoga continuing to grow in popularity for a variety of health-related reasons, more and more health insurance policies are beginning to provide basic coverage to offset some of the costs associated with this form of alternative medicine.. Yoga is recognized as a complementary health program Under the Affordable Care Act, yoga is not covered by health insurance Yoga helps with mental and physical health Insurance companies that cover some alternative therapies such as acupuncture will likely be the first to cover yoga Yoga, referred to formally as hatha. Does Health Insurance Cover Yoga? Asked November 18, 2013 in . Health Insurance. 1805 POINTS. Contact Me. view profile. Samuel Smith PRO. Enrolled Agent-licensed to practice before the IRS, Samuel N Smith, EA, South Carolina. Yoga is a "spiritual exerices combined with some physical exercises". .... Dean Ornish, MD, made headlines in 2010 for convincing insurance companies that yoga and meditation, when combined with proper diet and exercise, could reverse heart disease. To date, yoga therapy is covered only under the Ornish Reversal Program for heart disease, but some affiliated clinics, such as Saline Heart Group, are beginning to offer cancer care..

Chiropractic is covered, massage therapy is covered, acupuncture is covered. Yoga needs to be next. With care in 2016 being aimed at preventative health, the rising appeal of using yoga for long-term health benefits conforms to the future of healthcare.. And though Medicare recently approved Dean Ornish’s program for heart disease, yoga therapy for other conditions may not be covered by your health insurance company. According to John Kepner, the executive director of IAYT, most people who seek yoga therapy pay for it out of their own pockets..

However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find health insurance that covers yoga as a treatment for any other condition other than heart disease, as it is still widely associated with fitness and appearance instead of an avenue towards healing.. Although Original Medicare does not cover gym memberships, it does offer services designed to help you improve your fitness. One of your Part B benefits is nutrition therapy services.. Saper stated, “We hypothesize that yoga classes will be as effective as physical therapy, but more cost effective,” adding that research like his might also facilitate private, state and federal health insurance coverage of yoga and mind-body therapies..